Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Genesis
Book: Genesis
Chapter: 44
Overview:
Joseph's policy to stay his brethren, and try their
Affection
for
Benjamin.
(1-17) Judah's supplication to
Joseph.
(18-34)
1-17 Joseph tried how his brethren felt towards
Benjamin. Had
they envied and hated the other son of
Rachel as they had hated
him, and if they had the same want of feeling towards their
Father Jacob as heretofore, they would now have shown it. When
the
Cup was found upon
Benjamin, they would have a pretext for
leaving him to be a
Slave. But we cannot
Judge what men are now,
By what they have been formerly; nor what they will do,
By what
they have done. The steward charged them with being ungrateful,
rewarding evil for good; with folly, in taking away the
Cup of
daily use, which would soon be missed, and diligent search made
for it; for
So it may be read, Is not this it in which my
Lord
drinketh, as having a particular fondness for it, and for which
he would search thoroughly? Or,
By which, leaving it carelessly
at your table, he would make trial whether you were honest men
or not? They throw themselves upon
Joseph's
Mercy, and
acknowledge the
Righteousness of
God, perhaps thinking of the
injury they had formerly done to
Joseph, for which they thought
God was now reckoning with them. Even in
Afflictions wherein we
believe ourselves wronged
By men, we must own that
God is
righteous, and finds out our
Sin.
18-34 Had
Joseph been, as
Judah supposed him, an utter
Stranger
to the family, he could not but be wrought upon
By his powerful
reasonings. But neither
Jacob nor
Benjamin need an intercessor
with
Joseph; for he himself loved them.
Judah's
Faithful
cleaving to
Benjamin, now, in his distress, was recompensed long
afterwards
By the
Tribe of
Benjamin keeping with the
Tribe of
Judah, when the other tribes deserted it. The
Apostle, when
discoursing of the mediation of
Christ, observes, that our
Lord
sprang out of
Judah, Heb 7:14; and he not only made
intercession for the transgressors, but he became a
Surety for
them, testifying therein tender concern, both for his
Father and
for his brethren.
Jesus, the great antitype of
Joseph, humbles
and proves his people, even after they have had some tastes of
his loving-kindness. He brings their sins to their remembrance,
that they may
Exercise and show
Repentance, and feel how much
they owe to his
Mercy.